Varsity Field Hockey: Season Outlook

The St. Luke’s Field Hockey Team heads into the 2021 season full of optimism, following an extremely productive preseason.

 

Head Coach Emily Walsh is thrilled with what she has seen from her squad so far: “Preseason has been incredible. In just a short time, we saw every player improve in at least one area. In the first week, we stuck to the basics of stickwork and endurance. In our second week, we reviewed strategy and positioning.”

 

The team is captained by seniors Sloan Barker, Andrea DiTeodoro, and Lili Messina, who Walsh believes will do an outstanding job: “I expect our captains to contribute significantly on the field and to help cultivate a positive, fun, hardworking environment for our team. Already, during the first few weeks, our senior class, led by our captains, has been exceptional and served as role models, on and off the field. They have supported our younger players in a truly meaningful way.”

 

DiTeodoro agreed with Walsh that preseason has been a success: “The first few weeks have been great. We have a lot of athletes this year, which is very exciting. It has been great getting to know my teammates and getting better as a team everyday. I want my teammates to always give maximum effort, focus during practices and games, and help each other improve.”

 

There are a number of new players who joined VFH this season, and Walsh is eager to see what impact they will have on the program: “We have a number of talented younger players, including Annabel Silbersher and Grace O'Connor. They are both new to St. Luke's and new to the sport of field hockey, but have demonstrated already that they have the ability to contribute significantly. We are extremely excited to have them.”

 

The 2020 season was impacted heavily by COVID-19 restrictions, but Walsh looks forward to a full schedule and competitive fall this year: “I am beyond excited about how many games we have on our schedule. I want our team to compete for every ball. I want us to play fast, smart, and with consistent energy and enthusiasm. Above all, though, I want everyone to have fun, win games, and enjoy each other's company.”

 

Messina echoes that excitement to play competitive games again: “I’m very excited to welcome so many new faces to the program. During my previous years on the team, our numbers have never come close to where they are now. I can’t wait to welcome everyone into our family. I also can’t wait to get back to game play! I have desperately missed game days, and I am so appreciative of all of the work and coordination put into giving us an amazing game schedule.”

 

Varsity field hockey gets its season underway on Tuesday, September 14, at Hopkins School, followed by another road trip to Masters School (New York) on Monday, September 20.